When asked about her worst job,Andrea Riseboroughdidn’t hesitate to cite her experience working on Joseph Kosinski’sOblivion(2013).According to The Guardian, when pressed about her most unpleasant work experience, the actress replied: “Either shredding duck in a Chinese restaurant orOblivion.” This comparison between aTom Cruiseblockbuster and the raw restaurant task speaks volumes about the actor’s experience in the $120 million science fiction film. Her assessment of her time working alongside Cruise in the post-apocalyptic thriller is refreshingly honest and direct.
For a northern Brit to make it in Hollywood is a celebration in itself, particularly for someone born in Newcastle upon Tyne like Riseborough, with her, Ridley Scott, and Charlie Hunnam flying the Geordie flag. Playing Victoria “Vika” Olsen, Jack Harper’s (Cruise) communications officer and romantic partner, Riseborough, found the experience inOblivionfar from the thrilling Hollywood opportunity many would expect. Having already proven her versatility in smaller, critically acclaimed projects before landing the role in the sci-fi venture,the move to big-budget spectacle proved challenging in ways she hadn’t anticipated.
Things Just Didn’t Add Up for Riseborough in ‘Oblivion’
What made Riseborough’s experience inOblivionso unpleasant? It seems multiple factors plagued the production. On the bright side, the film boasts elaborate sets, cutting-edge visual effects, and the sleek aesthetic that Kosinski employed forhis debut,Tron: Legacy(2010). However, for Riseborough, this couldn’t overcome what she viewed as a flawed experience.Uncomfortable with the misogyny, she spoke about feeling isolated during filming. The scale and technical demands of the movie created an impersonal working environment with few female co-workers to forge friendships.
The role itself also presented challenges.After late script changes, Riseborough’s character became largely reactive, often confined to monitoring stations and delivering exposition rather than driving the narrative forward. Moreover, scrutiny of her physique left a bad taste in her mouth.She spoke candidly with The Times: “There was quite a lot of talk about whether my body was the right size or not — too big or too small, not muscly or long enough. I can almost laugh at things like that now, but at the time, it was very lonely.”
The Writing Process Wasn’t Straightforward, To Say the Least
Oblivionis a good-looking sci-fi film.The Metro newspapersaid, “The bigger the screen this is watched on, the better.” It features a future Earth devastated by an alien invasion, where Harper works as a maintenance technician servicing drones that patrol the planet’s surface. Living in a control tower high in the sky with his partner Vika, Harper questions his mission when he encounters Julia (Olga Kurylenko), triggering memories of a past he thought was erased. As the movie progresses, Harper discovers the truth about the war, his identity, and humanity’s real fate.
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However, Riseborough wasn’t alone in her dissatisfaction. Writer William Monahan’s initial script went through iterations, with a rewrite by Karl Gajdusek and Michael Arndt providing the final polish when Universal took over the project. This process suggests the fundamental story problems contributed to the writer’s and Riseborough’s frustrations with the result.According to Cinema Blend, Monahan stated, “It differed enormously. I’d written something I think was very good, perhaps a science fiction classic, which I imagine got the film greenlit, and thenit was turned by subsequent writers into cannon fodder, despite Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman and Andrea Riseborough and Olga Kurylenko, all of whom I love.”
Onwards and Upwards for Riseborough
Enjoying a remarkable career, Riseborough delivered powerhouse performances in films such asBirdman(2014), where she played recovering drug addict Laura. Her work inThe Death of Stalin(2017) as Svetlana Alliluyeva exhibited her range in dark political comedy, and her performance as Tasya Vos inBrandon Cronenberg’sPossessor(2020)demonstrated her ability to tackle boundary-pushing material.Perhaps most significantly, Riseborough’s performance inTo Leslie(2022) as a troubled woman struggling with alcoholism earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Her subsequent work inAmsterdam(2022) alongside Christian Bale and Margot Robbie and her role inWes Anderson’sAsteroid City(2023)have built her reputation as one of Britain’s most skilled and committed performers.
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The contrast between herOblivionexperience and later successes suggests Riseborough is more at home in collaborative environments where character development and story take precedence over spectacle. Her willingness to speak frankly about her worst professional experience shows the genuineness that has made her such a brilliant screen presence.Oblivionmay have been Andrea Riseborough’s worst job, but her career since then proves that sometimes the most challenging experiences can lead to better things. From the disappointment of a big-budget blockbuster to Oscar recognition, an actor’s measure isn’t always determined by their biggest paycheck but by their commitment to their art.
